andyfalsetta

Also, you want to follow Orsetto's suggestion and remove the lens so you can test it independent of the camera body. The shutter being contained within the lens is capable of its full function without being attached to the body. This will tell you if you have an issue with the lens mounted shutter or not. As for the body, once you have advanced the film using the knob or crank depending on how your body is equipped, when you depress and hold the chrome shutter release button a few things happen. The mirror flips up, the two auxiliary shutter flaps at the rear of the body open and the shutter mechanism is released. As long as you hold the shutter release depressed, the two flaps will remain open. You should be able to look straight through the body and see no obstructions at this point. Once you let go of the shutter release button, the two auxiliary shutter flaps should snap shut quickly. If you don't get all of these functions happening crisply, your body will need service as well. As mentioned above though, the shutter closing when you select "mirror up" is totally normal. One more thing; don't forget about the film back. They too need service. The advance mechanism gets gummy and the dark slide seal looses its potency. So if you decide to go for a service, get it all done at once and bite the bullet. Its possible the entire service could cost what you paid for the camera but I hope it doesn't. Good luck with it and let us know how it works out.

Have someone familiar with these cameras check it out. The shutter closing when you use the mirror up button is the correct operation of the device. When you select mirror up, the mirror retracts, the shutter closes and the auxiliary shutter flaps open (exposing the film to light if not for the shutter being closed) When you depress the shutter release, the shutter opens and closes the prescribed period of time (shutter speed) and then closes. When you then advance the film, all goes back to the normal state (flaps closed, mirror down, and shutter open).

They have two display screens right?

I don't have an RZ67 so maybe this information won't help. But I do have a Bronica SQAi and had a similar problem when I first bought it. I just checked out a couple of photos of an RZ67 Pro II on ebay and I saw the lever on the right side that (I believe) is the multiple exposure selector lever. My Bronica has a very similar lever on it and what I found was that although the lever was in the correct position, the lever itself had a hairline crack in it that caused the lever to slip so it never really got out of multiple exposure mode until I squeezed the plastic lever while moving it from "M" to the normal position. Like I said this might not help but I thought I would try to help. Check out that plastic lever very closely to make sure its working as you think it should..

Okay so this really isn't as dramatic a story as the title might indicate. I hope you enjoy it though. . I'm on vacation with my wife and we were spending a good part of yesterday afternoon in downtown Tampa on their "Riverwalk". I have my Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta 532 6x6 with me as usual and mentioned to my wife that there was a shot I'd like to take. She sat in the shade while I walked up the path to the point I wanted to take the shot from. Across the canal from the Riverwalk is the University of Tampa campus so there were lots of young folks walking, running, riding bikes, and some folks like us of a certain age. I've got the camera opened up so the bellows and all the shiny black paint and chrome trim was gleaming in the sun. A nice 30 something kid walks up to me with a compact Nikon digital camera in his hand. He asks; "What kind of camera is that?" I told him "its a German made film camera that's about 70 years old". He was quite interested in this thing I was shooting with so while its still slung around my neck I handed it to him asking him to see how heavy it was. His face said "wow" as he hefted it in his hands. Not knowing what else to say I mentioned "there's no plastic in these cameras; that's why they are so heavy". Still a little bewildered, with wide eyes he asked: "Does this do film AND video?" Fortunately I contained my reaction and just explained that it was limited to film only.

You might check this site to see if they have what you need. Miniature Screws | NBK | Couplings, Screws, Clampers

Two years late but nonetheless, a solid finished result and great sample shots to prove it!

Well if the camera was not in a case and was treated the same way between every frame and exposed to the same amount of light, then yes, you would expect failed seals to consistently cause the same leak pattern. What have you checked so far?

I love these little folders. We're on vacation this week and I always take a 532/16 with me. There are few medium format cameras as compact and as good as a nice Super Ikonta. Just for laughs, here is the case I resurrected. The top and bottom threads were all dried up and pulling out so I removed all the thread and used matching color polyester thread to restitch the top leather and the bottom leather to the case. It took a while like I said earlier but was worth it. Then the big problem was the separated front flap. I used soft glove leather purchased from a craft shop and cut a piece that overlapped the tear and fit all the way up to the top of the inside of the cover and an inch below the tear. This was rubber cemented INSIDE the lining and on the back of the flap and top cover. This piece bridged the tear. The fit was great and it was plenty strong but the tear line was still there. Then the brainstorm hit to put a small piece of leather OVER the tear and stitch it in to cover the tear. An old camera strap provided by Jimmy Koh (Thanks buddy) would fit over the tear and give me room to have two rows of stitches. A mock up quickly revealed it would look like a second rate repair. Then it hit me to extend the length of the strap so that it wrapped completely around from the rear flap on one side clear across the tear and butted up against the rear flap on the other side. Approximately 200 holes were drilled into the repair strap each around 3mm apart. Originally I made a template of 15 predrilled holes but this soon proved to be less help than it was worth. I drilled all the holes with a Harbor Freight cheapie dremel type tool and a small drill bit. Then the predrilled strap was held in place and was used as the template to drill all of the holes in the actual case. Having predrilled holes made the stitching go relatively quickly (two hours) but as you may be able to tell, the end result, although far from perfect, is a useful case and one that doesn't look too much like its been repaired.I replaced the camera strap at the same time and used some antique looking hardware I found at the craft store. I'm not totally happy with this aspect of the repair and will continue to look for something more suitable. Its not easy to tell this was a totally useless case when it arrived with the camera.

I too got one of mine with a decrepit case. The front flap was torn off and all the stitching was coming loose on the top and bottom. After 12 hours of work it is in fantastic vintage shape and as solid as the day it left the factory. If I was getting $50 and hour I would have about $600 into a $50 case :)

The following should help. After you have the film loaded onto the take-up spool and manually advance it (back/door open) until you see the two arrows pointing away from each other, close the back. Then view the film through the window and advance slowly until you see the number 1 in the window. At that point close the windows and go to the top of the camera. Push down on the film counter dial and rotate it counter clockwise until it is at "1" It should stop there and not let you go further. At that point the counter and the film advance are synched and you can shoot using the shutter release button and advance it until it stops at the next frame. You shouldn't have to use the red window after finding frame "1". Hope this helps. (and by the way, this method of rotating the film counter dial counter clockwise works without film in it if you want to test it first.).

Have you inspected the first and second shutter curtains for pinholes? How long a frame sits in front of a pinhole and how bright the intruding light is can influence the amount of light (leakage) that reaches the film. Whether or not the lens cap was on while not shooting also can influence this. Just a couple of thoughts.

As a starting point, you have new batteries in it? They are available cheap at Harbor Freight.

I bought an SQAi two years ago for $300 including a metered prism finder, three backs (one was a polaroid) a lens hood, and the 80mm. The only problem with it was the plastic lever for the mirror up had a crack in it that caused it to slip on its shaft. Noticed another person on this forum had the same problem so as the plastic ages, more of this type of problem will occur. I epoxied mine and its been fine ever since. I thought I did well, but your deal is smokin good if the equipment works. Make sure there are fresh batteries in the body before you test it. They really only last 6-8 months so who knows what is in there. Make sure the aperture ring on the lens moves smoothly and the detents are crisp. Otherwise, these are pretty solid cameras so good luck.Also, if its an Ai, the film speed control/dial should be on the rear of the film back not on the top of it. I've seen some older version backs (top mounted dial) being passed off on SQAis.

If you try the Bronica Orsetto suggested you just might forget about the SWC. The only additional suggestion would be to go for the SQA or the SQAI

Nice find. The show you refer to, was it the "Second Sunday" show in N. NJ? Looking forward to your test shots. Do you use glass or wax paper to calibrate the viewing lens? I'd love to hear a little bit about your process.

Nice camera porn Tom!

Peter, Last Summer I tackled a P6TL and thanks to Rich Oleson's documentation, mine was running perfectly. The times on my shutter speed tester were below 10% deviation on most speeds and remarkably under 5% on the faster speeds. The P6 is a great camera and a very reasonably priced system if you can tune them yourself. I must admit though that after sitting for six months, the 1/125th speed gremlin crept back into my camera. I was able to put a couple of drops of Ronsol on the springs in the Speed Controller and after they dried, a bit more oil. It is fine now but clearly is the weakpoint of the P6 and Praktisix. Since using 35mm most of my life I found the similar layout of the P6 to be just right. I don't get the sense that I am holding a 35mm on steroids.

Tom, I have seen the rubber lined "flywheel" on a couple of the bodies I repaired. They both had black metal plates over them to keep the flywheel from falling off. They were anchored by the lower left most screw holding the mechanism plate to the body. By the time they got to the C/M it looks like Hasselblad's engineers developed a way to fasten the flywheel/brake without the need for the cover plate. I will continue looking for images of the air cylinder. One interesting point is that the 503 service manual makes no mention of how much tension should be on the Aux Shutter return spring. This is the clock type spring under the piece you were talking about. With the mechanism assembled with one turn on the spring, the Aux Shutter flaps will not reliably close. With two turns they work fine. They work even more quickly and sharply with three turns. I wonder what the correct tension is because without this specification provided, techs will do what they want and this might lead to the fracturing that all these different designs of braking were developed for. I have all of mine set at three turns - I live dangerously :) Another interesting point, the other important spring is the shutter release drive spring. This is tensioned by rotating the lower right-most gear in the gear train clockwise prior to assembling the front plate to the body. The '59 500C shown here had three turns on the spring when I released it upon disassembly. The 503 manual says four turns. That is quite a bit more tension. The result is a more rapid activation of the shutter on the lens.when moving from three turns to four. I set this one up as per the manual.

Great responses guys. Thanks.. Orsetto, , That information regarding "building in batches" and continuing development explains a lot. It seems like the basic design was a winner from the start and they were just trying to address problems (like the Aux Shutter brake) and examples of where they could speed up/simplify production. I read somewhere that they took suggestions from techs regarding what to modify. Companies that do this today are fairly common. One that did this in 1957 is pretty rare IMO. Two things that "jump out" at me are the mouse trap style spring on the interlock that prevents shutter release when dark slide is in place, and the coil spring that tensions the "cocked yes/no" flag (red or white flag seen in the body window). You can see these springs at the lower center of the photo. Both springs run vertically to an anchor point under the large rectangular white metal mechanism plate that dominates the mechanism. These springs are anchored to a "stand-off" that the mechanism plate is screwed down on. One of them actually loops around the standoff so the only way to install it is to do it when the mechanism plate is removed (!) or loosened enough to be lifted. This would be no mean feat since it disturbs the mirror lift mechanism, the shutter drive spring tension, the connections to the Aux Shutter flaps, etc, etc. Essentially to do this right, the tech would almost have to strip the device down to the bare chassis and build it up again (or do some shade tree move like bending the mechanism plate). No doubt techs "shouting" at the engineers led to a new design. All the other bodies I have seen (whopping four) have more simple designs for these springs. Different subject but related; I drive an older Benz and I swear the heater core/ air con evaporator was hung on a rope on the assembly line and they then built the car around it. The disassembly necessary to get to it is just ridiculous. Tom Chow, Thank you for this. I can almost visualize some kind of shock absorber being mounted there. I think you are right. Maybe I can find something on the web illustrating this assembly. Its interesting that the mechanism works seemingly flawlessly without it but it would be nice to either have one or at least know what should have been there. Ben, I totally understand your reluctance to tamper with a good working assembly. As the saying goes, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". Having said that, and knowing that you are a watchmaker, I can tell you there are very few reasons to ever let your beloved 500C out of your hands if you wanted to attack it when it needs service. Actually I can only imagine one - setting the height of the focusing screen. Anything else is "cake" for someone with your skills. I maintain my small watch collection but only infrequently have I been able to make a part. THAT to me is what separates a hobbyist (like me) from a watchmaker. If I can compare the skills necessary to tackle a 500C to those needed to repair/service a watch, I would say its like working on an oversized pocket watch. Where a magnetized screwdriver would be taboo with a watch, it makes working on a 500C easier. Where a loupe and magnifier are essential with a watch or pocketwatch, there is no magnification necessary with a 500C The 503 pdf service manual originally provided to me by Orsetto, (and lately I have seen posted on the web) contains all the necessary guidance for putting a 500C back together. When the day comes where your Aux Shutter flaps start to slow down, this will be the cue to start thinking about DIY'ing it. I would be more than happy to talk through it before you wanted to decide. As a side note, I bought the few bodies I have been involved with from a great guy in NJ (no relationship). He is on ebay and for the last five months or so has been selling down a collection of bodies only that he inherited. His prices have been fair and he pretty much under describes what he sells. He is listed as mrbubblesupplycheap As an example, there is a very nice body listed for $145 shipping included. Granted, it has a cracked focus screen, but its a great way to get your feet wet servicing a 500C. I don't think a complete service could cost as little as the price of this body. And heck, you'll have a spare one ready when your "main squeeze" starts to get sluggish. Thinking about that focus screen, if someone like us were to try and replace it, what would be the harm in counting the turns on each screw as it is being removed and installing a new screen using the same corresponding number of turns? Worst case, a REAL camera repair tech would have to dial it in. How much could ten minutes of their time cost? Old vintage MEDIUM FORMAT FILM Hasselblad 500C camera Body for parts Lot B | eBay

If you should start doubting the shutter speeds your lenses are firing at, you may be familiar with this already but in case you aren't, you can get a free download of Audacity off the web. Its primarily an audio program but it is also very effective at capturing and measuring shutter speeds under 1/125th second. There are Youtube videos on how to do this.

Fellow Hasselbleeders; your help would be appreciated. A series of events led me to search for a '59 production 500C body. I found one that was needing a service and dug into it last night. I have read that earlier versions of the 500C had some differences and this information is correct. However, where I've been led to believe there was a more "handbuilt" or "made to fit" aspect to the earlier 500C bodies I don't find that to be true. The parts in this body are very similar to those I have seen in the other four I have had apart but there are some differences, the most significant of which I can point out in one of the photos. I could really use some help understanding one particular thing about this version of the 500C, that being the apparently missing component between a mounting bracket as shown in the photo and the horizontal detent lever for the Auxiliary Shutter spring. Of the four bodies I have dismantled and serviced, there were three different Auxiliary Shutter Spring damping configurations. It appears that Hasselblad was struggling with or developing a braking or damping system for the Aux Shutter but this one appears to be incomplete. If anyone has any info on this and especially can provide insight into what might be missing on this body, I would really appreciate it. At this point I have the body back together and set up correctly. It functions as well as any other I have seen although there clearly is a component (s) missing. Thanks for any comments/input.

Great job rejuvenating a lost "soul". I've done three Super Ikonta 532/16 over the last year. One for a good buddy of mine and two for myself. In fact one of the two was a parts camera thathe gave me to use as a donor for a better top cover and knobs for his.. After finishing his I looked at the donor and realized it had hope. After servicing the lenses and helicoid, the shutter, and dialing in the rangefinder, its become my go-to rangefinder. I simply love these old Zeiss Ikons.

That is rotten news about the eBay seller. It sure sounds like the lab is off the hook and I was wrong. Off Topic: just went round and round with a seller and eBay over a defective laptop battery that didn't work out of the box. eBay clearly has changed their customer service policy and is more protective of the seller than helpful for the customer.It all worked out okay but not after persistent complaining.

Big transition from "Before" to "After". I prefer the dark bellows. Great result; its beautiful, and a Zeiss lens too!